A concerned mother noticed a change in her dog’s behavior, especially when it comes to sleeping patterns and refusing to sleep in the bed. She sent me a few questions, and I have included the answers below for you to read. She was concerned about her dog possibly being a “loner” and her earlier life in a shelter.

First, let me say that I do not know a single dog that is a “loner”. We crave attention, whether it is from our families, toys, or other dogs. This dog is still a puppy, about five months old. There is a lot going on at five months, as this is the early stages of dog puberty. Puberty for dogs is a lot like the human kind. Around the age of five or six months, sometimes a little later, changes start occurring. This is when we start to develop our adult bodies, and that is especially evident in our feet and tummy areas. Our feet become adult-sized almost overnight, and we become exceptionally clumsy. We also lose the round belly in favor of a more lean physique. Puberty in a dog may last until the dog is 14 months old. Read the rest of this entry »